


greek tragedy

by killerleo



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Seblaine Week 2020, achilles and patrocles, outsider pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:34:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25239325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerleo/pseuds/killerleo
Summary: an outside study of sebastian and blaine, as achilles and patrocles from the trojan war in their war camp“Homer describes a deep and meaningful relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, where Achilles is tender toward Patroclus but callous and arrogant toward others.”
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26
Collections: Seblaine Week 2020





	greek tragedy

**Author's Note:**

> soooo the prompt is modern retelling of mythology and this is Not actually that, as it is set in the iliad/trojan war times, however the parallel between characters was too beautiful to ignore cos damn
> 
> an important note; this doesn't go into any graphic detail, no gore or description of Anything, the two characters die as that is kind of what they're famous for, however there is NO description of death and it's not a sad ending, in fact it's kind of hopeful and peaceful, especially when you consider their beliefs about after death :)

The tension in the camp was thick, sounds of groaning soldiers and the clinking of metal, hushed voices and shouted cursing. Men with bandaged limbs and women with vacant, pained faces; the women were worse off, Nick thought. Most of them were captured from their homes, given over to the soldiers, seen as objects and prizes – at least the men had a scrap of their free will left. He sat at the edge of the forest, half in the shadows and half out, observing his surroundings with caution and curiosity, relishing time to himself before another infuriating war council. They’d been away from their homes for years now on the edge of Troy, fighting for an honour that barely any of them even cared about. The inhabitants of the camp provided him his entertainment; not in the vulgar, exploitative way that so many of the men employed, but studying their movements and motivations with a concentrated interest. And none were more interesting than Sebastian and Blaine.

Sebastian was the warrior that was destined to help end this godforsaken war; half immortal, indestructible, passionate, and beautiful. No one had ever seen anyone fight like he did, with the grace and agility of a dancer, but as ferocious and lethal as Ares himself. His figure drew attention wherever he went, lean and tall, his skin always slightly glowing with a golden aura, the gods themselves honouring him. He was headstrong, stubborn, vicious, and often cruel, and spoke with a righteous authority that came from knowing his superiority over everyone. Everyone, that is, apart from Blaine. 

Wherever Sebastian went, Blaine was there beside him. There was never one without the other, and no one expected otherwise anymore – any comments suggesting a slight separation had died out long ago out of fear of their lives. Blaine was not a fierce warrior like his partner; yes he was skilled in combat as was any man of his age, but his reputation was not that of glory in battle. Nick studied Blaine even closer than Sebastian, the smaller man sparking a deep curiosity that he couldn’t sedate. He was calm, consistent, soothing (well, in comparison to the rest of the trolls there at camp), and there were very few in their company who didn’t consider him a friend or ally. Often he assisted with healing, or gave comfort to those who were sick, his empathy managing to survive the horrors they had all encountered, a trait which was rare these days. He was also the only one to dare stand up against Sebastian, telling him when he was being obtuse, unfair, or immature. He guided him on matters of war, speaking logically and kindly, and the two of them trained together daily, out of sight of the others of the camp. 

Nick often spoke to Blaine, the two of them more similar in attributes than others, and he was not immune to the unspoken charm which everyone fell under. Nick knew he was slightly less obnoxious than the other men of war so that made him better company than the rest, as well as being quieter and less vulgar. He didn’t treat the women as objects at least, speaking to those who knew Greek and keeping his hands off – they weren’t his type anyway. 

Blaine kept his hands off as well. Nick had never seen him bring one of the women to his tent or touch them during mealtimes. His eyes stayed on Sebastian, and his hands stayed close. The two men were fairly tactile with each other, but everyone knew they had more or less grown up with one another – Blaine being sent to Sebastian’s home as a companion/servant when they were both young. The touches were friendly and non-committal, brushing each other in parting, hands clasping biceps or gentle nudges and pats. But Nick understood the intimacy of them, saw the way fingers lingered and eyes trailed down in accompaniment to hands, and the unsaid meanings behind each one. They moved as if they were two halves of a person, joining together to feel whole again. In any other relationship, in another time, that would’ve been unhealthy, he thought. But now, when the majority of their lives had been stripped from them, fighting a war caused by the foolishness of men and malignity of pride, and their souls were eroded and beat as each year went, that bond between those two men was the only thing keeping them going, giving them something to fight for. 

Dinner had passed, the meal full of forced chatter and cups of ale which fuelled conversations and fights, muttered talk of the war woven in with the lamentation of those they’d lost, each day battering them down and reducing hope. Nick had left quietly, not wanting to be subject to any argument or battle plan, the day was over for him and he wished no more talk of what he could not control. He sat by the edge of the forest again, listening to the hum around him, feeling the protection of nature and stillness of the earth. Blaine and Sebastian sat alone, the other side of the clearing, far enough he couldn’t hear them speak but close enough he could see their bodies pressed side by side. 

Whispers followed them wherever they went, talk of their relationship and the intimate details of such, gossip and stories of their lives together, assumptions and debates. Nick thought it all rather ridiculous, after all many of the men were physical with each other, it wasn’t exactly rare back home or at war. But the intense intimacy of the pairing did spark curiosity, which he could understand really. It was an emotional connection beyond anything they had ever seen, looks that could express words that didn’t need to be said, a deep understanding in each other that transcended friendship, or even love. They sat, thighs pressed together, whispering in each other’s ears, fingers lightly entwined in Blaine’s lap, a serenity on their faces which only came from being alone; alone together. Sebastian’s frame towered over the other, his skin catching in the moonlight, highlighting the light freckles which decorated his cheekbones, and Nick could see the intense green of his eyes even from this distance. He truly was stunning, tales of his beauty common across many lands, talked about as much as his great feats of war. The way Blaine looked up at him made Nick’s heart lurch in a way he didn’t think was possible after all the brutality and death he had suffered through.

They looked as if they weren’t sitting at a war camp, miles from their home, awaiting their inevitable death at the hand of Trojan savages. Instead, Blaine’s honey eyes gazed at his companion with an tenderness and warmth, his expression calm as if in that moment they were on an island, deserted together and growing old and peaceful as if nothing else mattered, and their cruel world hadn’t forced death and malice between them and their happiness. He was curled around the taller man’s side, his frame smaller but more protective, showing a vulnerability to Sebastian which was unheard of. Nick watched the tension dissolve from Sebastian’s shoulders, allowing himself to be held, the brutal façade he maintained slipping away. Nick knew he was trespassing and didn’t want that hardened shell of Sebastian’s to have to come back, forcing him to put on a mask which was clearly so constricting to wear. He slinked away into the night instead, allowing Blaine and Sebastian to occupy his thoughts instead of his vision. 

They remained their inseparable selves throughout the war, as men were killed and boys took their place, small battles won, and larger ones lost. Often they remained in their tent for hours, maintaining they were training or going over plans, but Nick suspected otherwise – not just time to be physically close, but emotionally, as he knew that only each other knew the true self of their partner. He saw Blaine’s empathy and kindness remain strong, pushing through the cruelties of what he encountered and tried to fix what he could along the way. He saw cracks appear in Sebastian, the pressure of his status and his expectations applying further tensions every day, only calming himself down from eruption by the soothing company of his partner. 

The stubbornness of when he chose not to fight anymore didn’t come as too much of a shock from Nick, his studying of Sebastian meaning he expected that revelation to come, but he didn’t expect the relentless perseverance of it, staying in his tent as countless men died, all because of stupid pride. For the first time Nick felt his allegiance to the warrior falter, as he allowed innocent lives to be taken out of his own hubris. He saw Blaine suffer through it, begging and pleading but to no avail, remaining with him but his own mask hardening in place.

And when those fateful days came, when Blaine put on his partner’s armour and marched into battle, and when Sebastian’s rage came out burning and uncontrollable, their passion and undying love for each other was so intense and blinding it shook their whole army, uprooting it from the core. When Nick rode in, sword in hand, he thought of the two men, and fought for them, fought for their memory and their love which transcended all that he could ever know or understand. 

So when the funeral pyre’s were over and the celebratory mourning of their greatest warrior and the best man they would ever know was complete, he fulfilled Sebastian’s last wish and poured their ashes into one urn, combining them in body, just as they were in heart and soul. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!! im killer-leo on tumblr


End file.
